A Shinobi's Path
by IronTemptress
Summary: (Formally known as ALONE FOREVER) Coming from a broken past, a young girl must struggle against all odds to fight for the realm and protect those who cannot. Under the strict and brutal tutelage of her Shinobi Master, she must fulfil a once ancient prophecy, defeat the mighty Shao Kahn, and bring peace to EarthRealm. All the while the shadows of her past refuse to stay buried...
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

**It has been literally years since this story was first published on FanFiction, and I have decided to go back and re do it. Formally known as *Kunoichi*…**

The wind howled throughout the echoing, lifeless tress of an abandoned forest. Even the animals had fled the stretch of wood, for it had seen many a battle throughout it's life. You wouldn't have had to be a psychic to see that the land had been stained with blood. You could smell it in the air, feel it on the ground as you trod on the dampened soil.

Which was exactly the way he liked it…

He too was a man who had seen many a battle, for it was evident that his body adorned numerous, ugly, hideous battle wounds. His disfigurements of war bothered him none however. Though he was a man to quickly anger, and would raise his weapon to anyone who stood in his way, he was a man of honour, and held the traditions of his land close to heart.

He was a nameless man… Again, that was exactly the way he liked it….

It was more of an insult rather than a title, to call him a man, for he did not live and breathe like you or I did. He simply existed.

Whatever had lain underneath, or what had been before, was now long gone.

What was once a man, was now a demon. What was once human, was now a beast. What was once living, was now dead.

Though he appeared human on the outside, it was merely just a sick, twisted illusion.

Truth be told, he should have remained dead. But it was the pure vengeance, anger, and hatred that kept him from dying...

He now only existed for one purpose, and one purpose only…. And that was to kill the very man, or demon, who had done this to him. Who had so cruelly torn his life away from him, who had so in justly ripped the skin from his body, who had twisted him beyond recognition, and had turned him into what he was. And it was as though every time he would get close to this man, he would so easily slip away from him. Like sand rushing through open hands….

But this time was different….

He was close to him. Closer than he had ever been before.

Though this man had not only taken away his life, he had taken his family's as well. His beautiful wife, who had meant more than life itself to him, was cruelly tortured, beaten, and then finally murdered. His child, no more than three years of age, now lied next to his wife in an unmarked grave just outside the family home… AN UNMARKED GRAVE!

The man slammed his closed fist into a nearby tree, with what remaining leaves that adorned the tree, now floated to the ground in a heap beside him. He had not asked for this, yet, for some unknown reason, it had happened…

And as the man paced back and forth in both anger and utter frustration, the winds had started to change direction. Thinking nothing of it, the man continued to pace back and forth, shoving what surrounding noise there was out of his head. And it was only when clouds started to form in one focused area, did he then start to pay attention.

And as lightning started to strike the ground, and thunder started to boom, shaking the trees throughout the forest, did he know exactly what was in store for him. Out of nowhere, a man appeared where lightning had last struck the ground. A man donned in a full white cloak which fell to the floor, and carried a staff in his hand. And no, it wasn't Gandolf…..

"Hmph, Thunder God" the man muttered under his breath, not in admiration, but in pure loath and disgust.

Turning on his heal in the opposite direction, he was stopped in mid-step as lightning once again struck the ground, just mere inches from his next step. A warning, surely meaning to stay firmly planted where he was. Balling his hands into fists, the man turned to face him, and gritted his teeth as he said his name.

"Raiden" he spat "Why do you disturb me? The task set by you was completed at the last tournament. I have no interest in the wellbeing of Earth Realm, leave me in peace"

The man smirked under his hood, and continued to address him as though he had not said anything.

"Scorpion" he started, looking the man up and down for a moment, noting the dripping blood coming from both his clothes and his sword "Been out hunting have we?" Raiden chuckled

The man known as 'Scorpion', donned a black Shinobi uniform with a full hood and face mask. The Japanese calligraphy embroided in gold, on both his uniform, and the sash tied around his waist, identified him as a Shirai Ryu, a member of a long dead clan of Japanese assassins. Though the magnificent craftsmanship of both his uniform and his weapons, could now not be admired as they were tainted with blood.

"Get to the point Raiden, and stop wasting my time. What in the name of OutWorld to do you want!?" Scorpion hissed.

"I have another task for you, well, more of a favour on my part" Raiden began

"A favour!? What makes you think I have the time or the consideration to help you?" Scorpion said, his knuckles now beginning to turn white.

"Let. Me. Finish" Raiden said, starting to feel his anger starting to rise "There is a new tournament beginning. I don't know how, but Shao Kahn has replenished his forces and has found a loop hole in one of the rules, and has challenged Earth Realm again. I need you to train someone who the elder gods think, might have the capability of stopping Shao Kahn once and for all".

Scorpion thought to himself for a moment, and then answered

"What about the Shaolin Monk?"

"No Scorpion, I need You to do this mission. Do this, and I can guarantee that the elder gods will help you find Quan Chi"

"I already no where he is" Scorpion huffed "I'm right on his trail"

"The 'trail,' you've been following, has been cold for hours. You're not going to find him, not for a while at least".

It was a means to an end. Scorpion wasn't doing this out of the kindness of his heart. He NEEDED to find Quan Chi. And if preparing a simple minded Earth Realm dweller was going to help him do that, then so be it….

"Where to I begin?"…

**Do let me know in the reviews if you'd like to see more. **


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

It had been many years since Scorpion had traveled to Earth Realm, and to be perfectly honest, the lone spectre didn't particularly care to be in the company of anyone but himself. Scorpion was under no illusion that this task set be Raiden, would not be a simple walk in the park.

_It's just a favour_ he says _Earth Realm's in danger_ he says.

_What a load of shit _

Scorpion knew that when dealing with any sort of deity, particularly Raiden, that there was always more to the story, that there was always something that was purposely left out of the equation. It was as though those who were in divine power, loved to torture and manipulate those that were under them, like it was some sort of game for their own amusement. It was as though Earth Realm was merely just a chess board, and those dwelling in it were but simple, insignificant pawns to be moved around.

Scorpion always liked to believe that he was in control of his own life, his own destiny. But as he tracked through the harsh climate of an Earth Realm forest, it only justified the fact that he too, was a pawn in the elder god's game. Shoving the thought out of his head, he continued on for sometime, subtly marking his trail along the way.

For what seemed like days, but in reality was only mere hours, Scorpion finally began to approach, what looked like, an ordinary suburban home. Sometime after, he began to hear the screaming noise of trucks passing by on the highway. Scorpion grunted to himself, in both annoyance and acknowledgement of the loud, screeching horns of ongoing traffic.

Taking care to stick to the shadows, Scorpion scaled the perimeter of the house, only to be hauled into a nearby tree. Shaking his head, as though to recover from the impact, Scorpion opened his eyes. A man, not much taller than him, and of equal stature and build, grabbed hold of his lapel, and raised his hand into a fist.

It took Scorpion a moment to realise who this was that had hauled him against this tree. And his he began to survey both his face and his clothes, and more importantly, the distinctive, red scar, starting at his eyebrow, and making it's way through his right eye, and ending just at his jawline. What starting from confusement, turned into pure anger and hatred as the man began to emit frosted ice from his hand.

"YOU!"

* * *

><p>It had not been long since Sub Zero had reached the suburban home of this supposed <em>Savior of Earth Realm<em>. Sub Zero was once again called to aid Earth Realm in the Mortal Komabt tournament. It was only this time however, that he would not be acting so, _directly_.

Raiden had only shared so much with the Lin Kuei warrior, which in turn, made his blood pressure start to surge through his body, a major vein in his neck starting to pulse as his temper began to rise. Sub Zero had shed enough blood for this cause. He had served his time, payed his dues, and now only wished to be left alone in peace…

After overthrowing the cyber initiative, and regaining control over the Lin Kuei Temple, Sub Zero had made a life for himself by taking the title of GrandMaster, and training his fellow Lin Kuei. It was a peaceful life, if not difficult in certain aspects. But nevertheless, it was peaceful. Sub Zero had gone through enough hardship, and now only wished to be left alone. But somehow, troubles such as this, always found it's way to his doorstep in one way or another.

And now, with the news of Shao Kahn challenging Earth Realm yet again, only drove the assassin to the point of bursting out in anger. With taking a few deepened breaths, and reminding himself of the cause, Sub Zero managed to keep his anger at bay, and waited for back up from a fellow ninja, by the name of, _Ermac_…

* * *

><p>As the rain started to beat down heavily on the black clad ninja, Ermac, he swiftly, and silently, made his way through harsh terrain of the forest. Minding where he trod, being doubly careful not to cause attention to both the animals inhabiting the forest, and any mortals that might be dwelling near-by. Ermac knew that this mission was of the utmost importance, and that he must act quickly, if he was to reach Sub Zero on time, and carefully extract the prophesied <em>Savior of Earth Realm<em>, and bring them to safety. From there, he only assumed that Raiden would give them instructions as to where to take the mortal afterwards.

A few short hours later, Ermac had made his way to the suburban house that had been marked on his map, and approached the blue clad assassin, Sub Zero, who had been carefully hidden behind the thick foliage of a nearby tree.

"Greetings Sub Zero" Ermac announced, and continued to approach him "We trust that you managed to get here in one piece"

"Like stealing candy from a baby" he smirked, and stood up, fully revealing himself from the shrubs and undergrowth of the forest "Has Raiden given you anymore information, other than _Protect the mortal_?''

"No Sub Zero" Ermac sighed "He has not. We have contemplated for sometime, and have come to the conclusion, that the elder gods must be just as confused as we are"

"No Shit" Sub Zero huffed, making his way over to Ermac "Should we move in?"

Ermac gave a slight nod, before venturing forth, sticking to the shadows as he did so. Before Ermac could take another step forward, he jumped slightly, startled at the sudden sound of someone being thrown into a tree. As Ermac turned and brandished his weapon, he only sighed, and gave a slight smirk behind his mask, before making his way over to Sub Zero, who had his hand raised at the Specter, and his other hand latched around his lapel.

* * *

><p>"Be still my friend" Ermac assured, placing his hand on Sub Zero's shoulder "This man is with us"<p>

"You could've warned me" Sub Zero huffed, before lowering his fisted hand, and releasing Scorpion from his grasp.

Scorpion did his best to contain his anger, and shoved Sub Zero out of his way, before continuing his way through the forest.

"You can both go home now, I have this under control" Scorpion huffed, throwing an insult back Sub Zero over his shoulder, still continuing to move, not looking back at him, as one would, when in conversation.

"Excuse me if I don't run away with my tail tucked between my legs, but I had as much say in this as you did. We are here under Raiden's orders, and with not leave until this man is safe" Sub Zero called out to Scorpion.

"Woman" Ermac announced, making both Scorpion and Sub Zero, stop dead in their tracks "This person is a woman"…..

**Please be sure to leave a review. Whether it be good or bad, I want to know about it!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Quick Author's Note :  
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**Now before any of you jump to conclusions, and start pointing out spelling mistakes, I will make it known that I am from Australia, and thus with be spelling the English way, not the American way. Example : Americans spell it as **_**favor**_**, we spell it as **_**favour**_**. So before writing a review poking at the way I spell certain things, read this Author's note before doing so. **

**Now, let's get the show on the road, and more importantly, I hope you enjoy!**

An army of men clad in black suits, slowly began to set the ornately carved, mahogany casket, down in the living room foyer. The casket adorned beautiful brass handles, a set of two on either side, and a carving of exquisite roses outlining the lid, as well as wilting, golden leaves, slowly starting to fall from the stems of the roses.

As the top half of the casket lid was opened, a slumbering woman revealed herself, her stiff, lifeless fingers, entwined in another rose.

Many close relatives of the woman gathered around her. Sobbing women clutching a soggy tissue in one of their hands, and husbands wrapping their arms around their wives in comfort.

It was a sad occasion, saying goodbye to a loved one. Though in truth, I was merely here out of courtesy, and to pay my respects to the family. I had known the woman briefly, as she was a friend of my Mother's, and had on occasion attended family gatherings.

_Aunty May_, as she liked to be known as, had been battling with lung cancer since the age of twenty-nine. She would have been thirty-seven this year…

I knew that this upset my parents a lot more than it did myself, and while it was tragic that Aunty May had died so young, for some reason, I found myself to be rather emotionally detached on this particular occasion…

As my black stilettos _click-clacked _on the hard wooden floors, I made my way over to my Mother, and silently placed a hand on her shoulder, excusing myself as I made my upstairs.

* * *

><p><em>A woman?<em> _No, surely it was some sort of mistake…._

As Scorpion and Sub Zero stopped dead in their tracks, they both turned to face Ermac, who by this time was now running after them, mud splattering his boots as he made his way toward them.

"Yes, it is true. Raiden told us just before he had set us on this path" Ermac said.

"Seriously? A woman?" Sub Zero sounded to be in a position of disbelief, as though he was under the illusion that the chosen would be a man "Do you know how cliché that sounds?" Now he sounded more pissed off than disbelieving. Though no one could possibly be more angry and pissed off than Scorpion.

"Are you saying that I was brought all the way here, all for a simpering woman?!" Scorpion hissed, his white, lifeless eyes, now glowing hot with anger.

"Not everything is about _you_, Scorpion. Did you forget that we are standing in the rain as well?" Sub Zero returned, turning back to look at his arch nemesis.

"Unlike you, _Lin Kuei,_ I have more important, and productive things to do than to train a useless woman"

"Who said you were training her? Raiden told me that _I_ would be training her" Sub Zero bickered, not at all helping the situation.

And as usual, Scorpion and Sub Zero could not back down from one another, and would not stop until the other admitted defeat. Which, was never going to happen.

"Well then, _Lin Kuei_, would you like to see who is the superior warrior?" Scorpion tossed, bringing his knuckles together, and cracking them in a threatening manner.

"With pleasure" Sub Zero muttered.

And as the two shaped up and started to circle each other, poor Ermac stood off on the sidelines, and looked up at the sky "Oh my goodness"…

* * *

><p>As I looked at myself in the mirror of an upstairs bathroom, I gave a slight nod in approval at my new attire.<p>

As was the custom of my Japanese background, after a funeral, and during a wake, all attendees would change from their black attire, and into all white clothing. An ancient Asian custom to ward off evil spirits, but was still used in the present day. And while I was the only Asian attending the wake, and was under no obligation to maintain the tradition, I mainly did so out of respect. While I grew up not knowing where I came from, I still wanted to respect the old ways in any way that I could.

As I combed out my long black hair, and swept it back into a simple pony tail, I adjusted my white dress, so the straps sat slightly off my shoulders, the dress's hem stopping at my knee caps. And as I adjusted the built in bodice, tightening the lace at the back ever so slightly, I then proceeded to step into my ballet flats, they too, also covered in white.

Putting on my cardigan, I began to make my way down into the living room, before hearing a loud '**Bang'**.

* * *

><p>As Sub Zero threw the last punch, Scorpion ducked with a fair amount of ease, pivoting to the left slightly, before bringing his leg up and kneeing Sub Zero in the chest. Grunting, and shaking his head slightly, as if to somehow absorb some of the impact, Sub Zero straightened up, and went to throw a roundhouse to the stomach.<p>

And what would have been a devastating blow, was stopped at the last minute, as Ermac grabbed the shin of Sub Zero, stopping it in mid air, while standing between the two warriors, breaking up the fight.

"Must we stoop to petty childishness? There is a greater cause bigger than any of our comprehensions. Stop this at once!" Ermac boomed, before releasing his grip on Sub Zero, and giving both warriors a cold, hard stare.

Both men backing away from the fight, they sat down in opposite directions from each other, and proceeded to survey their injuries.

Scorpion winced slightly as he noted that he now had two fractured ribs, and a slight bleeding from his nose. Carelessly wiping away the excess blood, he gave Sub Zero a glance, chuckling as he clearly had more severe injuries than he.

Sub Zero had a dislocated nose, which was now bleeding profusely, two dislocated knuckles, and a fractured shoulder.

As Sub Zero proceeded to relocate both of his knuckles and his nose, the bleeding then began to ease off ever so slightly. And before the warriors even had the chance to recover from the altercation, a loud, ear-piercing scream could be heard coming from the house out in the distance…

**Reviews are always welcomed and appreciated. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, see you soon!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Thank you for those who have been reading, and who are giving back both words of enthusiasm, and constructive criticism. I will make another note that I am from Australia, and for those who do not know much about the country, we are a British colony, and when we spell certain things, we spell it the English/British way, not the American way.**

**Again, I am a returning author, and this story is merely an updated version of the original one. And while I would very much like to give away spoilers, I cannot. **

**Please, continue reading, as things will start to get heated, and more interesting than the prologue and previous chapters. So please, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!**

_Dead….._

_They were all dead….._

_Every single one of them….._

_Dead…._

Bodies littered the floor of the living area and surrounding rooms. Blood splattered across the once cream coloured walls, necks newly broken, bodies torn apart, heads decapitated, limbs ripped in half. _All of them… Dead…._

Aunty May's casket torn off the hinges of it's stand, carelessly snapped in half, only to join her on the floor of the apparent massacre that was displayed in such a crude and repulsive manner.

I felt my guts heave as I threw up in a near-by waste bin, food and bile emptying from my bowels. The disgusting aroma of both the vomit and the bodies surrounding me was severely pungent and overwhelming, scorching my eyes and piercing my nose, the odour alone making my eyes water. I gripped my stomach as I threw up one final load of bile, before attempting to stand. As I clambered further into the living room, I felt my feet slip out from under me, toppling over as I came crashing down onto the hard wooden floors.

Fresh blood now staining my clothes, and splattering across my face, I attempted to stand, but only succeeded in falling back down into the sticky, red blood. As I rolled over onto my side, I let out an ear piercing scream. A man's torso had been ripped in half, and I now lay there to witness the spectacle of his intestines spilling out of his gut. I slid back onto my bum and began to back away, before bumping into another body.

As I turned my head to the side, I broke out into another scream as the body of my Mother, too, had been ripped in half, so recently in fact, that her nerves were still functioning, appearing to still be in shock. _What is happening?_ I internally screamed to myself, _Who could've done such a thing?_

My heart started to palpitate beneath my rib cage and sweat started to form on my brow. Throwing up another load of vomit, I finally managed to contain myself, as my mind slowly began to come to terms with what was taking place.

"Mum" I sobbed, tears starting to fall from my eyes as I placed a bloody hand on her still warm face, before enveloping her in an embrace "I'll find the person who did this to you" I promised. Though talking to a still warm corpse was doing neither of us any favours, I felt that I somehow had to justify my tears. I was never one for showing this much emotion, but the occasion gave me pardon as I laced my hand in her own, stiff, lifeless one.

At the moment in time, I gave a thought to my real Mother, the one lying six feet under in an old unmarked grave on the outskirts of Japan. No, the woman lying next to me in a pool of blood was not my birth Mother. But she was the one who had wiped my tears away, who had fed me, bathed me, clothed me, who had kissed me goodnight. So in my mind, she was my Mother..

I hardly remembered my life before coming to the United States of America. I remember that my Father was always away for some reason, and whenever he was home, it was never for a long period of time. The first five years of my life seemed like nothing but a giant blur. I remember however, that when I was first adopted by my American parents, that I could not speak a word of English. Though thankfully, with early intervention, I quickly caught on and began to speak English. Now, ten years later, I can barely form a sentence in Japanese.

Coming back to reality, I shoved all of that nonsense out of my head, and focused on the task ahead. The killer, or killers, were still bound to be in the house, as I noted to myself, the bloodied footprints leading away from the scene, and up the stairs and into the family bedrooms. I gave my Mother one final kiss on the cheek, and left the gory scene behind me, and went looking for a weapon. As I entered the kitchen, I grabbed myself a large butcher's knife, and reached for my phone to dial an emergency number, only to find the line dead.

As I ventured up the stairs, I silently went from bedroom to bedroom, looking for the perpetrator. Coming to the end of the hallway, I saw that the footprints had finally stopped. No lead or clue indicated of where they might have gone, they just stopped…. Now, here I was, staring at a dead end, having no clue as to what to do next.

As I turned around, I gasped as a black gloved hand reached for my throat, finding its home as it latched itself around my slender, delicate neck. As I violently lashed out with the large butcher knife, my efforts were laid to waste as the knife was stopped in mid-air, and carelessly, almost effortlessly tossed to the side.

Looking at the figure in front of me, I identified right away that it was a male, going on the muscular build and broad shoulders. The broad shoulders proved to be in his favour as pressure on my windpipe was constricted in such a way that made black spots start to appear in my already blurred vision.

I tried everything I knew possible to try to get this man off me. There was absolutely no way that one single man could be the result of the massacre downstairs. No way on God's green earth that one man could have done all of this. And now, it seemed that I would be his last victim. Grabbing at one last chance to defend myself, I placed my thumb to his blackened eye, and pushed with all my might. I was dropped to the ground almost immediately as his hands rushed to his now bleeding eye. Sliding back on my bum, clean, fresh air filled my lungs as I gasped for more, as though I couldn't get enough of it.

Looking him up and down in more detail, I saw that he donned the most strangest attire. He was dressed in an all black ninja attire. _Who in the 21__st__ century walked around in a ninja garb?_

But I did not have time to ask questions as I stood and ran for my life, down the stairs and into the living area, one again slipping in the blood on the floor.

The solid, wooden front door now bursting open, as the result of someone kicking it down, I turned my head to the side, and gasped, almost screaming as three more of those men glad in ninja garb entered the house. Though dressed slightly in a different way, I still viewed them as a threat, and despite my near death experience with the man upstairs, I was still going to defend myself.

"S-Stay away!" I screamed, the fear clearly audible in my shaking voice.

One man, clad in a mixture of green and red, gently approached me as I began to back myself into a near-by corner.

"Shhh, it's okay, we are here to help you" he soothed, kneeling down to my level and placing a hand on my thigh in a form of comfort.

I didn't believe him however, and lashed out, once again, going for the eyes. Though this time however, it had no effect as he easily moved out of the way, and placed my arm in a joint lock as if to somehow restrain me.

"Let me go!" I screamed, twisting and squirming, trying to free myself from his grip. Though this proved only useless and painful however.

Looking up through my hair, I saw the man from upstairs slowly making his way towards us.

"Kuai Liang" he said, clearly not addressing me, but the man dressed in blue. The man stepped forward in a threatening, almost territorial stance.

"Bi Han"…

**Hope to see you soon in the next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

My heart, palpitating beyond measure, was fit to burst out of it's chest at any given moment. This was just happening all too fast for my mind to even comprehend.

_Who are these men? What are they doing in my house?_

"You monster!" I screamed to the man clad in black, the one who had caused all of this, the one who had massacred the entire wake.

He only responded with a harsh, dry laugh, as though he was proud of his fete, proud of all the dead bodies that littered the living room floor.

It only took a moment, but by the time I had managed to blink, I felt myself being pulled away from the man in green and red. And before my mind could register what had just happened, I was now on the other side of the room, backed into the corner, and now, in his clutches once more.

"Wha- What did you do!" I wailed, as he placed a sharp knife against my throat. And as my back was to his chest, his other hand, or rather, arm, reached around and coiled itself around my waist, pinning me to him, as well as immobilising me completely and utterly.

As the three men turned around, the man clad in blue, raised his hand at eye level, and emitted a bright blue, glowing mist from his palm, and held it out in a threatening manner.

"Leave her alone Bi-Han! She is but a child, she had nothing to do with this!" he said.

"She has EVERYTHING to do with this!" Bi-Han remarked, as the knife started to close the distance at my neck, ever so slightly breaking the skin. And as Bi-Han went in for the kill, the man in blue shot out a shard of ice from his palm, instantly freezing the blade at my neck, and causing it the shatter. And as I was thrown to the ground, my head making contact with the hardwood floor once again, I looked up to see the two men engaged in a physical martial arts fight. Daggers, ice shards, blades, and other names of weapons being thrown at each other.

Dragging the corpse of my Mother away and to the side of the room, I childishly, and without thinking, began to shield her from any blades that might have ricocheted from the battle. From terror and utter horror from the scene before me, I cried into my Mother's chest, somehow still trying to seek comfort from her. I shut my eyes, forcing myself not to look as the fight continued. And for some time it seemed. And as the three of them managed to fend off Bi-Han, I looked up through the thick curtain of my hair as he somehow, without any scientific explanation as to how he could have done it, he disappeared in a cloud of thick smoke, vanishing without so much as a trace.

Tears still crawling down my face, I took the other half of my Mother, and pushed the two halves together. Though the intestines spilling out of her prevented me from doing so time and again. As I grabbed the intestines, and tried to force it back into her abdomen, the man in blue reach for my hand. And as I looked up at him, blood still sprawled across my face, his brow furrowed in confusion, though he didn't seem the slightest bit disgusted by the gory scene.

"Girl, what are you doing?" he asked, both confusion and concern sprouting from the tone of his voice. I looked up at him, fresh tears racing down my face.

"I can't put her back together!" I cried "I couldn't save her!" As the man knelt down to my level, he grabbed my other hand and stood me up, placing his arm around my shoulder and guiding me away from the scene, and into another room on the opposite of the house. He sat me down at the dining table, and handed me a bottle of water that he had retrieved from the fridge. As he sat down next to me, the other two men approached. And while the other man in green and red took a seat as well, the one in yellow stood off to the side, his muscular arms crossed over his wide, broad chest. When I looked at him, he gave me a look that sent shivers up and down my spine. He was not normal, he was not human.

"My name is Sub Zero" the name in blue declared, placing a hand on his chest as he introduced himself "And this is Ermac" he said, gesturing to the man beside him "We are not here to hurt you, we only want to help"

"What is your name child?" Ermac asked, his voice echoing as he spoke, his eyes glowing an unusual green hue as he too, crossed his arms.

"Nayoko" I said, my voice shaking as I spoke "My name is Nayoko"

"And what happened here Nayoko?" Sub Zero asked, remaining calm and collected throughout the process.

"That's a fucking stupid question to ask!" the man in yellow barked, making the three of us all turning our heads "Is it not that plainly obvious that an entire wake was just butchered?"

"For the sake of the Elder Gods, stay out of this Scorpion. I do not see how your input could possibly help" Sub Zero said, gritting his teeth, as if the two of them were very old enemies, and he was just simply biting his tongue to maintain the peace. Though it was clear, that Scorpion was not one for idle conversation.

"Listen to me, the longer we stay here, the more likely we are to be ambushed. I say we take the brat, and move!' he said, gesturing with his thumb in a backwards motion as he said the word _move_.

"We are not one to always agree with Scorpion, but he is right, we are vulnerable out in the open, we should leave before the chance of anything else happening should occur" Ermac agreed, strangely, and for some unknown reason, speaking in the past tense. Sub Zero Sighed, and nodded in agreement.

"Wh-Where are you taking me?" I trembled, clutching onto the sides of the chair.

Though before either Sub Zero or Ermac had anything to say in response, Scorpion stormed over to me, grabbed me by the wrist, jerked me to my feet, and began to lead me out of the kitchen and out the front door, giving me one last look at the scene on the ground, before dragging me outside and onto the front lawn.

"Wait!" I screamed, though he seemed to ignore me as he continued across the driveway and into the surrounding forest "I can't just leave like this, they deserve a proper burial!"

Stopping, Scorpion carelessly pushed me aside and turned back toward the house. The smell of smoke and rotting flesh soon rising into the air, I looked at Scorpion to see flames starting to flicker from his hands.

_No, I'm having a mental breakdown, this can't be happening! First it was the ice from Sub Zero's hand, and now it's fire from Scorpion's? No, this is not possible!_.

And as the flames grew larger and larger, he all of a sudden hurled them into the direction of the house. Hitting his target, the house soon going up in scorching flames.

"A Funeral fit for royalty" he huffed, before once again grabbing my wrist and leading me into the forest. With Sub Zero and Ermac, not far behind us, I gave one last look at my home, before saying goodbye….

* * *

><p>For what felt like an eternity, but in reality was only a few short twenty minutes, we trod through the harsh terrain of the surrounding forest, Scorpion's grip still as tight as it was before around my wrist. It felt like we were wandering aimlessly. The painful feeling of not knowing was driving me mental, so to the point that I stopped dead in my tracks, refusing to go any further until I had some valid answers. I was owed that much.<p>

"Where are you taking me?!" I boomed, making the already slumbering birds abandon their nests in the trees as they screeched and carried on. Scorpion turned, his clear, white soulless eyes burning a whole through my head as he glared at me.

"To the rendezvous point. That's all you need to know. Now shut your mouth before you bring attention to us" he spat, his eyes still continuing to stare through me.

"Listen child, all will be revealed shortly. But for now we must continue forth" Ermac reassured, placing his hand upon my shoulder in a form of comfort.

Though before anything else could have been done, a man stepped out from behind a nearby tree, revealing himself as though he were not afraid of being discovered. He gave me a slight nod, looking at me as though we were acquaintances of some sort. Dressed in a full white robe, a hood concealing his face, and holding a staff in his hand, he approached us, coming closer and closer. And judging by the fact that neither Scorpion, Ermac, or Sub Zero attempted to challenge him, it was clear that they knew of this man, and didn't view him as a threat.

"You need not travel any further" he reassured "Nayoko is safe now"

"Lord Raiden" Ermac acknowledged, bowing his head slightly as a sign of respect.

"Raiden" Sub Zero began, stepping forward and in front of the group "The entire house was slaughtered, along with the next champion. Nayoko was the only survivor, I am sorry, we have failed you"…

"On the contrary Sub Zero, you did not fail at all. Nayoko is the one the Elder Gods have chosen, _she_, is the next champion of EarthRealm"

"Her?! She's the saviour of EarthRealm?" Scorpion hissed, releasing me from his vice like grip, and looking down at me with complete distain and utter disgust "She's a kid, a child, a nobody! She can't even defend herself"

"I'm not a kid" I gritted through my teeth "I'm fifteen!"

"Oh good for you, and that makes it so much better" Scorpion mocked.

"ENOUGH" Raiden boomed, his eyes flickering as he spoke "This is not the time for confrontation. Nayoko, please, come with me, there is much that must be discussed"

* * *

><p>"<em>Mortal Kombat as always been, and always will be. For millennia, the forces of good and evil have been locked in an eternal battle, over the control of EarthRleam. Some seek to use the tournament, to destroy all that is good. Others seek vengeance, power, or eternal life. Time after time, each individual threat has been vanquished, and EarthRealm has enjoyed relative peace, for many years. But there is concern that EarthRealm is once again, in peril….."<em>

"And this is where you come in Nayoko" Raiden finished "Shao Kahn has breached the rules, defied the Elder Gods, and seeks to challenge EarthRealm once again. This world needs you, if we are to have any chance of stopping him".

"But, I don't understand" I stammered "Why do you need me? Who is Shao Kahn?"

"He is the emperor of Outworld" Sub Zero said, taking a seat by the fire, joining us around the circle "He seeks to concur and destroy all that pure and good in this world. We cannot let that happen"…

"And he was most likely behind the attack on your family" Raiden added "I don't know how, but he has learnt of your existence, and wants to eradicate any hope that this world has at defending itself"

"The Elder Gods must think that there is something special about you, and that you have the power to end this, to stop this abomination from taking place" said Ermac.

"How am I going to do this? What is this Mortal Kombat you speak of?" I asked.

"Mortal Kombat is a tournament designed to fight the forces of Outworld, and to determine the safety of Earth. Each generation, it is hosted. And the challengers of EarthRealm must win ten straight victories in order to claim this land" Raiden said "But fear not, we have managed to post pone this from happening, but not for long, however"….

"Just how much time do we have?" Scorpion interrupted.

"The Elder Gods have bought us six months before the starting date" Raiden said.

"Six months! That's impossible! There is no way she'll be ready by then, I need more time to train her" said Scorpion, beginning to pace back and forth anxiously.

"I do agree, it is not enough. But be thankful we have any time at all" replied Raiden.

"Thankful!?" Scorpion boomed "You're the one who got me into this!" he pointed with his finger.

"And did you think Nayoko had a choice in this matter?" Sub Zero hissed "We've all been involuntarily dragged into this. It's time to step up to the plate and accept the inevitable. Shao Kahn is coming, and there's nothing any of us can do to stop that"

"Sub Zero is right" Ermac agreed "We must accept the inevitable, and only hope that Nayoko has what it takes to survive this"

"We need a lot more than hope Ermac" Scorpion added "We need somewhere to train, out here in the open is much too risky"

"That has already been taken care of" Raiden assured "Sonya Blade has provided us with a secret military base in the mountains. She too, will be joining the fight"

"Oh, great. I feel so much better now that you said that" Scorpion said, sarcasm oozing from his voice.

"And what about me?" I wailed "Do I get a say in this?"

"Unfortunately no. Listen to me Nayoko" Raiden began, leaning in and resting his elbows on his knees "This is not simply just about you anymore. That fate of the entire world rests on your shoulders. And I know that is an unfair burden to place on you, but it is out of necessity. We need you help if we are to have any hope of stopping this Armageddon"….

**My longest chapter yet. Though I assure you, it is the first of many to come. Please leave a review and be sure to spread the word around. I hope you enjoyed, and I will see you soon.**


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Sorry for the late update guys, was suffering from writer's block. Hope you enjoy! And don't forget to review!**

So many questions that were left unanswered, so much uncertainty, so much perplexity…. How could I be sure to know this was real? I had tried pinching myself on numerous occasions. My mind wanted to believe that this was all a lie, that I was experiencing some sort of psychotic breakdown. And that when I awoke, none of this would have ever happened.

I had tried so many times to remove those memories from my mind.

So much demise, so much anguish, so much trepidation.

I could only imagine the complacent look on Saibot's face as he tore apart my Mother. Did he have no thoughts of the ramifications of his actions? Did he even care about how many lives he had ruined? But it was all to get to me…

Though I still couldn't understand how my life was more important than anyone else's. Even if I was meant for something great. Surely that could not justify the killing of so many innocent people.

I was going to kill him. I was going to rip him apart, just as he did to my Mother, and make him wish his sorry arse was ever born.

Though the Buddha once said, _Holding on to anger, is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die._

But surely I was entitled to my anger. I had every right to be angry, I had every right to be pissed off. I had reminded myself time and time again, not to let my emotions get the better of me. Remembering that as a child, I had quite the temper. Though many years of therapy had exposed the root of the problem overtime. And with the support of my Mother and my counsellor, I was able to keep my emotions at bay.

But with the presumptuous attitude of the yellow clad ninja arrogantly pushing past me as the four of us made our way up the mountain pass, only succeeded in fuelling my anger as it once again began to bubble just under to surface.

_It wasn't as if Raiden could have made it a bit, let's just say, easier by teleporting us maybe at, I don't know, the top of the fucking hill?_

No, this almighty, and all knowing, Thunder God could command the tides and the storms to his every whim, but could not teleport us up a mountain.

I hadn't even bothered to ask how, or why it was possible that a man had supernatural powers. Then again, I had seen Sub Zero command Ice. Scorpion wield fire, and Saibot disappear into thin air. What was so abnormal about Raiden teleporting from one side of civilization to another?

I could not, and would not even try to contemplate how any of this made sense. My mind was already a muddled mess, I didn't want to make it even more so…

After much time, from what could be made out, looked light dim, glowing lights sparkling in the distance. Both Sub Zero, Ermac, and myself, all let out an exaggerated sigh of relief as we found, what looked like to be the army base Lord Raiden had informed us about. Beginning to approach it further, a woman could be seen leaning in an open doorway, puffing on a cigarette. Realizing we had arrived, she threw the near finished smoke to the ground and stomped on it, putting it out with the sole of her boot.

Making her way over to us, she extended her hand forward in a form of greeting towards me.

"Good to see you finally made it in one peace" she pronounced, speaking in a mild American accent "I'm assuming that blood doesn't belong to you" she continued, cocking her eyebrow slightly.

Accepting her hand, and giving it a slight squeeze, I looked her up and down for a moment. Her dog tags, being the first thing that I noticed, was dated back around into the 80's. Showing her name, date of birth, and a serial number, which, I was speculating, to be unique for every serving veteran.

Adorning a pair of fitted, torn jeans, a tight black t shirt, and a pair of Doc Marten boots. She seemed as the kind of person who knew how to take care of herself. Assuming that looks weren't deceiving. Her brown hair swept back into a tight pony tail, stopped just at the base of her shoulders, while mine ended merely inches from my waist. Acknowledging the others in the group, while completely ignoring Scorpion altogether, she wrapped her arm around my shoulders in a form of comfort and gave me a slight smile, somehow trying to reassure me that everything was going to be okay. If only I could believe it was so…

Guiding me further towards the base, Sub Zero and Ermac proceeded to follow in toe, while Scorpion marched off into the near-by woods, muttering something undecipherable under his breath.

"Where is he going?" I asked, though Sonya seemed to just shrug it off without a moment's thought.

"Don't worry about him honey. He's an ovulating female trapped in a male's body"

I could not help but chuckle at her remark. The way she spoke about him, suggested that she knew him quite well. Or rather, his behaviour…

"Has he always been like this?" I asked.

"Pretty much" Sub Zero huffed, cutting in before Sonya "I wouldn't take it to heart though, he's like this with everyone"

"It seems to be particularly more so with you" I added "Did you do something to anger him?"

"That's a topic for another discussion" Sub Zero muttered…

Crossing some one hundred metres towards the army base, we made our way inside. The door closing behind us with a loud _thud_, I let out a sigh of relief as the sounds of a crackling fire could be heard coming from the other end of the room. Leading me towards the fireplace, Sonya sat me down and wrapped a woollen blanket around my shivering body. Sitting down next to me, she prompted her knees against her chest and smiled at me, her warm green eyes catching my own for a moment.

"You'll be alright chika" she smiled, tucking a stray lock of hair behind my ear "For what it's worth, I'm sorry about your Mum"

"Thank you" I sniffed, wiping away my tears with the back of my hand.

I took comfort in the rising heat of the fire, staring almost aimlessly into what seemed like an endless abyss that would surely swallow me whole. There was always something about how the flames flickered and danced that caught my attention. The fascination I had with fire was but a mystery to me. I never understood what made me so mesmerised by the scorching flames, but whatever it was, it had me completely and utterly bewitched.

"Hey…. Hey!" Sonya squawked, making me jump slightly by the sudden noise "Thought I lost you there for a moment" she joked.

Resurfacing back to reality, I rubbed my temples, trying to relieve what stress that I could. Removing my hands, I noticed that they were still drenched in blood. I looked to Sonya, asking if there was a place that I could wash up. Nodding, she stood up and led me further down into the base, guiding me to a small secluded bathroom next to what I assumed were the living quarters. Handing me a bath towel and a fresh change of clothes, she waved her hand, motioning to the shower provided.

"These clothes should fit" she smiled sheepishly "Once you're finished I'll show you the bunk you'll be sleeping in" closing the door behind her, I dropped the towel at my feet and looked into the small mirror nailed to the wall. Apart from being covered in blood, there was an aggressive looking purple bruise around my neck in the shape of a hand. And it wasn't a matter of guessing who's hand it was. Stripping off my clothes, I started a shower. Almost immediately the blood clinging to my body started to disappear down the drain.

Grabbing a cake of soap from the shower stand, without a moment's hesitation I began to lather it up, covering my whole body in sweet smelling soap suds. Once my body was rid of the blood, I then shampooed my hair, again, even more blood beginning to ooze out. As I let the water run down my body, I heard a sharp knock on the door, waking me from whatever hope I had of relaxing. Quickly shutting off the water, I stepped outside the shower, I expeditiously began to towel dry both my hair and my body. Thankfully, Sonya understood what it was like to be a woman, and had provided me with both a fitted bra and underwear. Slipping into a pair of jeans and adorning a tightly fitted tank top, I hung my towel over the railing and opened the door. Standing just inches away from the door, Sonya smiled at me.

"I bet that felt better" she smiled.

Sending her a slight nod in response, she wrapped her arm around my shoulders and guided me away from the bathroom. Leading me into another hallway, she opened a door to the right, revealing what I assumed to be my living quarters. A neatly made single bed backed up against the wall, and a black stuffed duffle bag at the foot of the bed. That was it. Though I wasn't expecting anything extravagant or over the top.

"These are some clothes that I have provided for you. From what I understand, the house was burned to the ground" Sonya said.

"You can thank Scorpion for that" I muttered, making my hands into fists at the mere thought of that man "I couldn't even bury my Mother"….

"I can only imagine" Sonya sighed "My Father had served in the military all his life. And when I was just about your age, my Mother and I had received a letter saying that he had fell in combat. And by the time they had sent him back in a body bag, there was hardly anything left of him to bury. They had sent him back to us in pieces"

"At the very least she deserved a proper burial after all she had done for me" I answered, running my hand through my still damp hair.

"What was she like?" Sonya asked, leading me to the bed and sitting me on the edge.

"She was very beautiful" I sighed "She was a registered nurse at a hospital. When she was volunteering over in Japan, she found me in the children's ward"

"Wait, you mean she wasn't your real Mother?"

"Not my birth Mother, no. But she raised me. So she is, was, my Mother"

"I didn't mean it like that Nayoko" Sonya pronounced.

"I was told that my parents had abandoned me at the age of five. My Mother took a shining to me over the weeks she had been there, adopted me, and brought me to the United States. During that time I was unable to speak English, but could communicate to her using word pictures. She literally saved me from poverty. I owe her my life"

"She sounds like quite the woman" Sonya admitted "Now, you should get some sleep from the coming morning. I imagine your training would start tomorrow"…

**So, how did I do? Please be kind to me, I did not abandon you! Please leave by some reviews, and be gracious enough to spread the word. I look forward to hearing from you all, and I hope that you enjoyed this latest edition.**

**Peace.**

**Out.**

**Temptress**


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